Rhodium Carbenoid Mediated Cyclizations of o-Alkynyl-Substituted α-Diazoacetophenones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00044a032

o-Alkynyl-substituted α-diazoacetophenones undergo facile cyclization to indenone derivatives upon treatment with catalytic quantities of Rh(II) carboxylates.A variety of structural influences were encountered by varying the nature of the substituent group attached to the alkyne carbon atom.The cyclization reaction involves addition of a rhodium stabilized carbenoid onto the acetylenic ?-bond to generate a vinyl carbenoid.The vinyl carbenoid was found to undergo both CH and CC migration as well as δ-CH insertion into the alkyl backbone.Different catalysts were shown to result in significant variation in the product ratios for these reactions.Treatment of o-(5-(allyloxy)-1-pentynyl)-α-diazoacetophenone with rhodium(II) mandelate afforded 2-(2-propen-1-yl)-2-(1-oxo-1H-indenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydrofuran in high yield.The formation of this compound involves initial formation of a vinyl carbenoid which reacts with the neighboring oxygen atom to give an oxonium ylide which subsequently undergoes a 2,3-sigmatropic rearrangement.When 2-ethynyl-α-diazoacetophenone is used, only products derived from 6-endo closure are observed.Substituted o-alkynyl α-diazoacetophenones give products derived from 5-exo cyclization.The mode of ring closure is controlled by both steric and electronic factors.